Clara Resources Australia Limited (ASX:C7A) has secured a reverse circulation drill rig from Eagle Drilling NQ Pty Ltd for its maiden drilling program at the Mareeba Gold Project in Far North Queensland, with the rig scheduled to be on site in late November 2026.

Key Points

  • RC drill rig booked from Eagle Drilling NQ for the maiden drilling program at the Mareeba Gold Project
  • The nominated rig is a UDR 650 multipurpose unit mounted on a MAN 6x6 truck, rated to 240 metres for RC drilling
  • This will be the first drilling at the project since Western Mining Corporation's Hodgkinson Joint Venture concluded in 1989
  • The rig is expected to be in operation from the end of November 2026

Drilling Contractor and Rig Specifications

Eagle Drilling NQ Pty Ltd is a hard rock drilling contractor based in Charters Towers, North Queensland. The company operates a fleet of 15 exploration drill rigs, both truck and track mounted, offering RC, diamond and rotary drilling services across a region spanning from Rockhampton to the Torres Strait Islands and west to Mount Isa. For the Mareeba program, Eagle will supply a truck-mounted RC drill rig with booster and support equipment, operated by its own drill crew. The nominated rig is a UDR 650 multipurpose unit mounted on a MAN 6x6 truck and rated to 240 metres for RC drilling.

Maiden Program at Mareeba Gold Project

The Mareeba Gold Project is located in Far North Queensland. According to the filing, this will be the first drilling at the project since the Western Mining Corporation Hodgkinson Joint Venture concluded in 1989. The truck-mounted 6x6 RC rig is described in the filing as capable of covering all terrain types expected during the drilling program. Clara Resources Australia Ltd is an ASX-listed gold explorer and the project is situated in the Hodgkinson Basin, an area that has seen production from numerous high-grade workings and a major regional exploration campaign by Western Mining Corporation in the late 1980s.

Scheduled Mobilisation Timeline

According to the filing, the drill rig is scheduled to be on site in late November 2026 and is expected to be in operation from the end of November 2026. The filing references a previously released company update titled 'Maiden Drilling Program to commence at Mareeba Gold Project' dated 4 September 2026, and states that the company is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in that update. The company confirmed that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning that information continue to apply. The filing was approved for release by the Board of Directors of Clara Resources Australia Limited.